St. Cloud lawmakers move to block courtroom camera funds

A rare courtroom image shows Day 3 of the civil trial in the case of Eric Johnson versus the city of Cold Spring at the Stearns County Courthouse in August 2015.(Photo: Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudt)Buy Photo

Bill author Rep. Jim Knoblach, R-St. Cloud, said he's talked to county attorneys about cameras in criminal court hearings. In the pilot program, judges and both sides' attorneys weigh in before cameras are allowed.

The bill forbids state spending in 2018 and 2019 to expand or change audio and video coverage in criminal courts; it doesn't forbid the coverage itself. And that's mysterous, said Mark Anfinson, counsel for the Minnesota Newspaper Association. He's not sure what the bill's actual impact would be.

“It's great for the public to see what actually happens in criminal court proceedings once in a while.”

Mark Anfinson

The St. Cloud Times is a member of the Minnesota Newspaper Association and was involved in the pilot program.

"It's such a simple process in each courtroom to allow a camera," Anfinson said. "It's great for the public to see what actually happens in criminal court proceedings once in a while."

Most states allow cameras in some court proceedings. Approximately 40 states permit cameras in some hearings, Anfinson said. That includes Wisconsin, Iowa and North Dakota, which have done so for decades without major incident, he said.

The pilot program — which is ongoing — limited the use of cameras in Minnesota courtrooms. Cameras cannot record domestic violence cases, when a jury is present, during juvenile cases, in special courts like drug courts or when charges include criminal sexual conduct.

The cameras cannot be used to record victims without their permission. And they can only record proceedings after a guilty verdict or guilty plea, unless all parties agree otherwise.

Supreme Court justices will consider a report on the pilot when deciding whether to expand, halt or continue the program. They're accepting public comments through Monday. There's a public hearing on the report scheduled for April 25.

It's unclear how Knoblach's bill would impact that timeline.

Money spent to implement the pilot prgram, "has long since been spent," Anfinson said.